Season Ends On A Bad Break For Haddock

Sports - GOLF

ST. CLOUD — A rule of thumb for golfers: Avoid hazards to score low. A footnote: Avoid basketball games, too.

A white plaster cast extending halfway up John Haddock's left arm is a souvenir he must wear for another month. It's a constant reminder of what can happen to golfers who pretend to be Michael Jordan.

Haddock, 17, averaged 39.2 strokes per nine holes to lead St. Cloud High School to a 12-8 season and earn Osceola Sentinel boys golfer of the year honors.

Last month, Haddock sank a four-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the Orange Belt Conference tournament at Overoaks Country Club to earn a dramatic 1-stroke victory over Osceola freshman Caleb Calhoun. A year ago he finished a stroke behind former Osceola standout Charlie Harrelson for conference medalist honors.

But St. Cloud, which had defeated Osceola by double digits in a head-to-head meeting earlier this year, failed to duplicate that success in last month's conference tournament. Osceola beat St. Cloud by 19 strokes to win its seventh consecutive championship.

''It was disappointing (not to win a conference title), but little Caleb played so good,'' Haddock said.

A junior, Haddock was the catalyst on a team that wasn't deep enough to displace Osceola.

''We lost four matches by four strokes or less, another two by one, and we only lost eight all year,'' said Guy Bailey, St. Cloud's coach.

However, two days before teeing up for district competition and a potential state-tournament berth, Haddock went one-on-one with a friend in the family driveway when he he learned dunking a basketball can be harder than getting out of a sand trip.

Haddock was submarined shortly after leaving the ground. Instinctively extending his hand to break the fall, he broke his wrist.

Haddock assumed a sprain was responsible for the pain and swelling and joined teammates for the district event at Walt Disney World's Eagle Pines course. Although in discomfort, Haddock carded a 14-over-par round of 86. Nine days after the tournament, X-rays confirmed his wrist was broken.

''John is a perfect example of why golfers shouldn't play basketball,'' Bailey said.

As expected, Haddock stepped forward to occupy the vacancy as Osceola County's top golfer, a position held the previous two years by Harrelson. A two-time state-tournament qualifier, Harrelson this season helped Brevard Community College claim a seventh consecutive state junior college championship.

Golf has been part of Haddock's daily regimen for nearly a decade since he began tagging along with his father, Roger, an Osceola County deputy sheriff.

While other kids learned to ride bikes with training wheels, Haddock learned how to drive, pitch and putt.

By the time Haddock was a freshman, he was good enough to play No. 1 for St. Cloud. And over the past two years, he often went toe-to-toe on the links with Harrelson.

''He never coached me, but I learned a lot from Charlie just watching him play,'' said Haddock, who nearly upset Harrelson during last year's conference tournament.

Haddock, whose 130 pounds are thinly spread over a 5-foot-11 frame, generates drives worthy of a much bigger golfer. More of those drives found fairways and greens this season, a contrast to shots that last year strayed into bunkers and out of bounds.

''I was pretty steady all season and never really had that bad of a round,'' Haddock said. ''Last year, I played bad the whole first half.''

But it wasn't 250-yard shots that led to improved rounds.

''My short game got better. I was much more consistent once I got close to the green,'' said Haddock, whose best nine-hole score was 35.

As good as Haddock's rounds tended to be, Bailey maintains his top student could have done much better.

''By most standards, John had a very good year. He was invaluable when it came to scoring, but the truth is that we both were pretty disappointed,'' Bailey said. ''John didn't apply himself like he should have.

''Everything John accomplished was done on natural ability. He doesn't put forth the 100 percent dedication it takes to be a college or professional golfer. At this point in time, he has too many other things on his mind.

''(Kissimmee Bay assistant professional) Bobby (Muzeka) was working with him, but there were times he had to haul John out of the house. John has talent and opportunity. I would hate to see him waste it.''